King Penguin Foot
Here is the sole of a foot of a dead King Penguin at Saint Andrews on South Georgia Island. Note the little nipples that resemble the sole of a running shoe. Penguins are among the relatively small group of birds who have only three toes on each foot rather than four, a trait they share with the alcids (auks, puffins, etc.). If you look closely, you can see the small hallux, or vestigial fourth toe on top. Many bird species use the hallux for perching, but because penguins don’t perch, it has shrunk from disuse.
King Penguin Foot
Here is the sole of a foot of a dead King Penguin at Saint Andrews on South Georgia Island. Note the little nipples that resemble the sole of a running shoe. Penguins are among the relatively small group of birds who have only three toes on each foot rather than four, a trait they share with the alcids (auks, puffins, etc.). If you look closely, you can see the small hallux, or vestigial fourth toe on top. Many bird species use the hallux for perching, but because penguins don’t perch, it has shrunk from disuse.